Poll: Sports betting not a great bet for AC

A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Tuesday found 44 percent of New Jerseyans see sports betting as a plus for Atlantic City, but 48 percent are less positive about its value, saying it either will make no difference or will be a bad thing for the struggling resort city. A woman walks past Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino on The Boardwalk in Atlantic City.
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Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation last week to allow sports betting at racetracks and casinos. But the NFL and other sports leagues opposed to the plan have filed a complaint in federal court.

The Monmouth Park thoroughbred racetrack in Oceanport is the only facility currently preparing for sports betting. Other racetracks and all of Atlantic City’s casinos have remained on the sidelines for the expected upcoming legal battle.

New Jerseyans are even more negative when it comes to online gambling. More than half (55 percent) think online gambling is bad for Atlantic City, compared with just 5 percent saying it is a good thing. Twenty-three percent say it makes no difference, and 17 percent are unsure.

“In the face of Atlantic City’s troubles, most New Jerseyans no longer think gambling is particularly good for the state,” said David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling and a professor of political science at Rutgers. “Nearly four decades after the first casino opened, residents are split on whether gambling should expand and clearly don’t believe some current plans will be of much help to Atlantic City itself.”

Residents are divided on permitting casinos in other parts of New Jersey, something state legislators have been discussing. Nearly half of Garden Staters agree with the idea, but 43 percent say casinos should be limited to Atlantic City.

Even as support has climbed for statewide casino expansion, New Jerseyans still question the benefits of gambling. In 1999, 72 percent saw gambling as good for the state, but today only 33 percent agree.